Why is it that when something is annoying or drives you mad it is so easy to find a million words to say about it? But when you find something you incredible, nay, so AMAZING, that you can't seem to find the words to say how you feel about it. I am here now. Melina Marchetta, where have you been all my life? Why am I just now reading these books? You HOOKED me with Finnikin of the Rock, but you OWNED me with Froi of the Exiles. This book was enchanting. Every page was captivating. This was epic fantasy at it's very best! I'm not even exaggerating when I say that all I did yesterday was devour this book. I read all 596 pages in a day. I stayed up until 2am marveling at this gem. I want to take this book, wrap it up, cradle it like a baby and keep it near my heart for all of time.


Froi of the Exiles how do I love thee? Let me count the ways...


The characters. Oh the characters. They are broken. They are ravaged, down deep in their souls. We see how they got that way, we watch it happen or so it breaking down more and more. But we also see a glimpse of light, and hope, at the end of this dark tunnel of despair, and sometimes we get to see this fraction of light grow so bright that it's blinding. Oh what a pay off it is. It's worth every torturous moment in the darkness. No character is inconsequential. Be it a main character or secondary, or even a small role as a villager, they all mean something to this grand story.




"She is worth nothing, Arjuro had said. If Froi understood anything, it was that in this world one's worth came from others. He had no worth until he crossed the path of the novice Evanjalin and Finnikin. So he found himself writing his own bond to Quintana of Charyn. Her worth would come from him and Lirah and the idiot last borns. She would not die alone. That would be his bond to her."


I found myself loving Froi most of all in this book. Don't get me wrong, I adored Finnikin and even the novice Evanjalin in Finnikin of the Rock, still do, but Froi was just something more to me. He was even more damaged, and there was such a darkness in him. Where in FotR the beast inside roamed free, you could see Froi constantly struggle in this book to keep his darkness leashed. It made me love him even more. We got to see so much more to Froi in this book. He has grown to be so much more than I could have even hoped for.



"Most days, he feared that a monster of great baseness lived inside of him, fighting to set itself free. Killing the traitors of Lumatere for Isoboe made sense. But killing also fed the monster. He could not bear the idea of letting that monster free among the girls of Lumatere So Froi kept away from them."




We got to meet loads of new characters in this story. Quintana was one of my new favorites. She kind of reminded me a little of the Mad Hatter of Alice in Wonderland. There were layers and layers to her, each one you uncovered only made you want to see more and more of what made this madly intriguing girl tick. She was so strong. Even when she appeared weak and useless, it was real a testament to how smart and strong she was.


Honestly nearly everyone new we met, along with some others that we had but glimpses of, they all weaseled their way into my heart. Gargarin, Arjuro, Rafuel, Lucian, De Lancey (and even his silly children), and sweet Phaedra....just to name a few. Amidst this love fest of characters here, there were a few that broke my heart. People I had grown to trust, right along with Froi, people I liked, they let me down in ways that were heartbreaking. I think that's one of the things I love most about these books, no one person is all good or all bad. The prettiest, shiniest egg can turn out to be nothing but rotten in the end. Likewise, the seemingly cruelest and most standoffish people end up being the ones you need with you the most for they are the only ones you should trust with your life. Nothing really ends up being what you see on the surface, there is always more to people than that.

I really appreciated the dual point of views in this book. While it was clear that Froi and his journey into enemy territory in Charyn was the main focus, it was so wonderful to also get breaks to see things still progressing in beloved Lumatere. It was great how everything started tying together at the end as well. It was clear that the fates of both kingdoms are going to be intertwined. It's such a delicate balance between these to lands, I'm still really unsure which way things are going to go down between them. There seemed to finally be some progress starting to be made between the two races of people but in the end I'm just not sure that it was enough to halt the looming war creeping to their doorsteps. One can only hope, I guess. It was eye opening to say the least to get a look at the Charynites in this book and see them for more than that of the heinous deeds some of their kin did to the Lumaterians during the curse in Lumatere. It was so easy in the first book to paint them all as monsters, but no so easy in this book where we see the good in their community as well. Also all the plight they bear as their own torturous curse of 18 years has been reeking havoc on their people.



"Phaedra shook her head. "If your people mean no offense, they should not speak their thoughts out loud in front of their children, Tessadora. Because it will be their children who come to slaughter us one day, all because of the careless words passed down by their elders who meant no harm."


I don't know what else to say. This book was flawless. It had me comepletely enamored from page 1 to the very last page. At nearly 600 pages I never skimmed, I never grew bored. I only felt EVERYTHING. I laughed, I cried (seriously, literal tears) I was hopeful, heartbroken, excited, nervous, and about a million other things throughout reading this book. Books like this aren't just a story, they are an experience. I can't sit here and tell you about it and do it any kind of real justice, you need to experience it for yourself. It is one of those rare books that you finish and you feel like no other book is going to make you feel this much again. It's just not possible. This is the best it's ever going to get. Until one day another one grabs you by the heartstrings and drags you through the whole ride all over again, and leaves you feeling exactly the same way. I have a bunch of "favorite" books, but even amongst my favorites there are only a few of these kind of books. My only hope is that the next book in this series, the final book, Quintana of Charyn will be a book I can add to that elite list. If you haven't started this series yet, you should.

4.5 stars


This was a fitting ending to the Lumatere series. I really enjoyed this series as a whole, the writing is incredible, the characters are rich and layered, and the world is both tragic and beautiful.

Quintana of Charyn was a little bit different from the other books, it was most noticeably the end of things, there were no new characters to meet, and you could see everything and everyone's stories finally tying together and coming to a comfortable ending point. I think I had expected to see a little more inside of Quintana's head (especially considering the title) but we honestly got too see most of the things regarding her more through other beloved characters eyes. It was fine though, I really enjoyed it, but after meeting her in Froi of the Exiles, I was dying to get more from her, and I was a smidge let down not to see some more of her growth on an internal level.


I really quite liked how everything turned out. It was a little more lovey dovey than the previous books as well, but I think it fit after all that these people had been through. Each one earned their happiness. It wasn't all sunshine and rainbows though, I mean it's still a Lumatere book after all, there was plenty of heartache, struggles and loss to tear your heart to shreds. Marchetta just does a more thorough job of patching your wounded heart up in this one.



Is it just me or does it still feel as if Lumatere has some more stories to tell?! Maybe that's just me and not wanting to let go of such an incredible story. I'm just saying if Marchetta decides to add more on down the line....I'll immediately be picking that up! I think a book some years in the future, maybe with the little king and queen to be grown up would be amazing. For now I suppose I will just move on and look on the side of wonder :)

3.25 stars

I am so conflicted about this book. I mean it's Nalini Singh whom I love, and it's the Guild Hunter series which is like one of my favorite angel urban fantasy/pnr series. So many great characters, and story lines, and even here at book 7 there is still so much left to explore, so much more that I am waiting anxiously to see from this awesome world. Archangel's Shadow was good. Seriously it was a solid addition to the series. I love that even though there are new main focus characters in each addition, time never stands still, the grander picture is always moving forward, and we never lose track of any of the people from this world that we have come to love. In fact, it seems as if that list of favorite characters still keeps growing and growing. I love this. BUT I was like so freaking excited for this book. I mean, this was Ashwini and Janvier's book. We've seen this saucy badass hunter and her spicy Cajun vamp flirting and fighting in the background for multiple books now. I was so pumped to FINALLY get their story up front and in focus.


While reading I started to notice that while technically Ash and Janvier were the main story line, it didn't necessarily feel that way. There was a lot of POV jumping in this book, which was fine. In fact, sometimes it was superb. But then there were times when the constant reminding of how in love Honor and Dmitri and Raphael and Elena were and short kind of catch-you-up back stories just got tiresome. We know this stuff. Like for multiple books now. Why must we spend so much time devoted to hammering this in our skulls? It was disappointing to take the limelight off the people I was excited about seeing develop, just to rehash feelings between characters that we already know about.


Then there is this other thing. It's so strange that I was simultaneously happy and sad about it at the same time. Naasir. I was so happy about Naasir because this was the first time that we really got to know this exotic creature that until now we have only had glimpses of. And every new bit I learned about Naasir in this book charmed and intrigued me. He's this mysterious, confusing, deadly, innocent puzzle that I NEED to see solved. As much as I loved getting to see more of Naasir, this too was disappointing, if only because he stole the freaking show. At least for me. He was more captivating than the main characters, and while that's cool and all, it was a tad of a let down when I was expecting to be wowed by Ash and Janvi this time around. What we saw of the two main characters was great. Could have been more. Just all around more. More time, more wow factor. Just more something. I missed more their games.


The story line was interesting enough. It was a little more tame compared to the massive battle that was in the previous book. Which totally worked for me. There was more rebuilding and recuperating, but there was still a good little mystery for the Scooby gang to solve. I enjoyed the fact that Janvier was really something a little different than we are accustomed to. He's so sweet, like from day one. He's charming, funny, and a gentleman who doesn't seem to have that jaded mark of eternal life that the rest of them seem to carry. Even better than that was that he was never that overprotective guy. He knew Ashwini was a warrior and he never thought about holding her back, instead he had her back, and that's badass. Ashwini was her usual kickass self, but I did enjoy seeing some of her vulnerability in this one. That was something I can't remember seeing very often in the previous books, so it was a nice new development with her. I was a little disappointed with the end of her tale where she undergoes a huge transformation, and I swear it seems to happen in like two pages. That kind of sucked. It was almost like it was an afterthought, when it would have been nice to actually get a little more show rather than tell in that scenario.


So all in all this was a solid addition to the series. I enjoyed being in this world again, with all these incredible characters. I can't say it was everything I was expecting it to be, but that's ok. I really look forward to seeing who the stars of the next book will be and what will happen next!

4.75 stars

One thing can be said for Karina Halle, she's constantly surprising me. I absolutely love that she's been exploring so many different genres! One thing they all have in common thus far is that no matter what genre she's writing in, she fucking slays.

The Pact was such a refreshing contemporary romance. In a genre that's saturated with New Adult books right now, which I love too, it's also so nice to get a look at dating/finding love a little later in life. As I am, way too quickly, approaching the big 3-0 myself, I was easily able to understand and relate to the characters in this book, and their struggles. I honestly wish I could find more romances like it. There was something so refreshing reading about these adults who were still figuring life out well into their 20's and encroaching on their 30's. It's so funny how when you are a kid you think by 30 you'll be old and have everything worked out, family, career, home, children, etc. But that's not always the case, and it's funny how far from old and grown-up you feel as 30 looms on the horizon. How can you still feel so like 20 year old you, but also so completely different. I felt like The Pact captured this perfectly.


I really dug the beginning and how it skipped around a little throughout the years since the day the pact had been made. It almost had a kind of When Harry Meets Sally feel to it that I loved! Like Linden and Stephanie's time just never seemed to be right for years. I also love a good best friend romance. I mean that's the dream right?


"Isn't that the best person to want? The person that knows you inside and out. The person who has seen you at your ugliest, and most beautiful and still wants to be with you. The person who believes in you and has your back, no matter what."

While I guess you could say that these characters were a little more subdued than Halle usually writes, you could still see a lot of her trademark brazenness come through. Linden's dirty mouth made me blush a few times, and I LOVED every minute of it. He also said some of the toothachingly sweetest things as well. He was sugar and spice, to the 100th degree! Halle's characters always seem to have at least something naughty going on with them, along with a killer sarcastic sense of humor, and it makes me love them even more for it.


"Have I told you how fucking hot you look tonight?" His warm breath tickles me.
"No. Do go on, though."
"Your dress is amazing." He's right about that. It's strapless red satin to my knees, with a corset waist that sucks me in and makes my breasts look ridiculous. "You look like a Disney Princess."
"A Disney Princess?"
"Yeah," he whispers roughly. "One of those princesses who look like they might give you a BJ if you play your cards right but in the end she probably won't."


The build up of tension between Linden and Steph, and even the inevitable struggle with expanding on their relationship and what it would mean for their friendship was a fantastic journey. It's always scary to take that leap from being friends to something more, because either way, things between you two will never be the same.

I also found the relationships between the three friends, Linden, Steph, and James so realistic and completely relatable. I think every woman in her time has had at least one guy friend that had hoped for something more between you two, even when the feelings were not reciprocated. It almost never ends well. Especially when those unrequited feelings grow bitter with time.


These 3 amigos were a time bomb just waiting to explode, and I couldn't help being wrapped up in this faintly familiar, and totally enchanting story. The inevitable combustion between these friends cut deep though. I was honestly kind of shocked at how Linden ended up handling everything. Even though he's kind of a child in terms of maturity in relationships, it still knocked me on my ass when he screwed the pooch. I knew a rift was coming, but I was not expecting it to that extent. I had hoped for a little more from Linden after everything we had seen, and I think that's where my rating went to just below perfection.


I highly recommend this book, especially for anyone looking for a smart, relatable, ADULT contemporary romance. Way to knock this out of the park Halle!!!

Wow. I was really pleasantly surprised by Nightfall Gardens. I mean, I definitely found the synopsis interesting, but I was not expecting the level of imagery I got once I was ensnared inside the Nightfall Gardens. This is one of those stories that you read that the world, and it's inhabitants, are so rich and completely incredible that you crave to see these ideas brought to life! Seriously, this book could SLAY as a graphic novel, with the right artist, although I have seen the other covers for the books in this series and those are pretty spectacular, so maybe there is already an amazing artist around. Just thinking out loud, or rather on paper, here.

I LOVE that the creepiness factor is easily enough for both an older child, or an adult to enjoy. There were a few monster in here that gave me the chills! The most chilling thing about them (beyond their creeptastically frightening physical appearances) was that they attracted you as much as they repelled you. They beckoned you with their terrible beauty. You could be frightened or repulsed, and yet still find yourself gravitating towards them, full of curiosity.

I was captivated by the dark beauty of Nightfall Gardens. It had a creepy Pan's Labyrinth feel to it, if you could envision living inside of the Labyrinth 24 hours aday and being trapped there for long periods of time. And I loved it!! I don't even know what part I enjoyed more, the garden areas, or the house! The idea that the house was a living thing, constantly changing and dangerous, but also your only haven for Blackwood women and the strange staff. I liked the idea that the manor was essentially like the Blackwood's guard dog, but one that had a mind of it's own with vicious teeth that could turn on the same one that it's sheltering. Brilliant! I feel as if we have really only scratched the surface of Nightfall Gardens and I already can't get enough.

I appreciated feeling like a character in the story myself. We got to take this trip and discover all the wonders and atrocities right along with Lily and Silas. They stood out like shinning stars in the darkness surrounding them. I immediately liked Silas, he seems smart, and sweet and just good. Lily took me awhile longer to warm up to. She's rather vain, and selfish. I did like that Lily evolved throughout the story though, and by the end I had pretty high hopes for the person she could become one day. I do wish that the characters were just a little more fleshed out. I felt like we never quite got beyond their exteriors. There were bits and pieces there, but I would have adored more. One more dimension to these characters could have, in my mind, brought this story up to 5 stars. I am undoubtedly intrigued by them, but I'm not quite invested in them emotional....yet. The great thing is, this is only the first book in the series, so there is a lot of potential there for everything to grow. I really look forward to seeing what the next installment holds!

Lastly I have to say thank you to Houston, not only for this gifted copy, but also because my daughter is 12 years old, and you gave me a perfect book recommendation for her. I know this seems rather small, but my picky, rambunctious girl is, much to my dismay, not an avid reader. It is very hard to find a book that can grasp her attention and hold it for the entirety of the story. I think Nightfall Gardens is perfect for her! This fast paced story with all it's dark wonders is precisely the kind of book that she will love!!

I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review

I just knew you were going to go and breaker my heart, Emma Raveling! And you did. You chipped little, and big pieces away throughout this book….nay…..this whole series. Breaker was everything I had wanted it to be, and a bunch of other things I didn’t know I wanted, or needed. It was the perfect combination of somberness and hopefulness. There wasn’t a single second of this that I would change, even the parts that broke me. They all added up to something so incredible.

I felt like we experienced everything right along with Kendra. I felt every twinge of regret, hurt, betrayal, and loss.But I also felt the pride, hope, and ultimately love too. This was an emotional journey through the past, present, and a glimmer of hope for a better future. It wasn’t just Kendra who shinned though. Every character we have come to know and care for was a star. Tristan, Julian, Nexa, Chloe, Alex, Cam, Aubrey, Ian, Ray, Jeeves, and so many more, they were the truly magical parts of this story. They are what had me emotionally invested in the story. I cared for each of them in so many different ways. It was so sad saying goodbye to them!


It also must be said just how gorgeous the writing in this book was. It was poetic. It was word magic. I felt how grand it was going to be in the freaking prologue! It really set the tone for the entire book. I loved how everything connected at the end. I enjoyed guessing repeatedly at how everything was going to turn out, or different plot twists, and always ending up surprised! Especially when the answers were really there all along. I was also thankful for the few undercurrents of humor, and the small moments, the underscored wins in comparison to the larger battle going on.


So thank you, Emma Raveling. Thank you for creating this incredible, unique world, full of magic, possibilities, and some of my favorite characters. Thank you for always keeping us readers on our toes, with your plot twists and revelations. And thanks for always being brave and ripping our hearts out, dragging them through the mud, and then magically putting them back together again. One of Daniel’s magical scans would surely show all the old injuries and magical residue around my savaged heart! But it was the price I paid for a perfect ending to a fantastic series!


** I received this ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review **

4.5 stars

The Shadow Garden is the second installment in the Nightfall Gardens series. You can see our review for the first book, NIghtfall Gardens here....

https://bookwormcoalition.wordpress.com/2015/01/18/nightfall-gardens-by-allen-Houston/

Everything that I loved about the first book, was still present in this addition. The setting is really the most intriguing thing about this story to me! I love this dangerous, magical place that Houston has created. And I really enjoyed getting to see further into it, the Shadow Garden is a terrifying place, but I couldn't look away! In Lily traveling there we also got to see some huge character development with her. The most frightening thing about the Shadow Garden might have been it's way of looking deep into a person's soul and using every desire, fear, hope and worry against you.

"Every lie, every sin, every foul or petty thought preys on a person's mind. It grows and spreads like a cancer that consumes the soul."

It was quite a journey Lily went through there, and I've grown to really like her, I couldn't help but to root for her to pull through and come out of this situation stronger than ever.


I also enjoyed Silas's journey into the mist! We got to meet a few new friends, as well as a few new chilling adversaries. As you know so far, the night itself is something to be feared in Nightfall Gardens, and we get up close and personal with some of it's worst inhabitants in this book. I was glad to see some glimpses of hope and light amidst the seemingly all encompassing dark of the night. It was nice to be reminded that goodness has a strong power too, which is something easily forgotten in this bleak place.


The alternating POV's between Lily and Silas are perfect for this story. Each of them have equally interesting voices, and stories to tell. I was happy to see the character depth that I was hoping for in this addition. It was just what I wanted, and it took this story overall up a notch in my opinion, because I now feel emotionally invested in these characters and their outcomes. I really look forward to seeing what the next book, The Labyrinth, has to bring!


I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review